No big deal – solons

Supermajority members in the House of Representatives said yesterday that President Duterte’s double-digit drop in his satisfaction and trust ratings for the third quarter of this year is not a big deal.

“I think we shouldn’t be worried because if we break down the survey results, putting it in context and considering the satisfaction and trust ratings of previous Presidents in previous administrations, President Duterte is still doing very well,” Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles said.

“If you compare his results in the same time period, in the same quarter, comparatively he’s still doing very well,” added Nograles, chairperson of the House Appropriations Committee.

Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe noted that Duterte’s survey numbers were very high to begin with and there is no way to go but down.

“When you have an exceptionally high trust rating there is no way for it to go down. The challenge is to maintain the trust of the majority of Filipinos. As of now, majority of the Filipinos still trust the President. That to me is what matters most,” said Batocabe, head of the Party-List Coalition at the House.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Barbers, head of the House Dangerous Drugs panel, said the ratings drop is no big deal.

Barbers said Duterte cannot please everybody, thus, “the fluctuations in his ratings only speak of a very alive and vibrant democracy contrary to the opinion of others that there is a tyrant in Malacañang.”